12 Tourist Attractions That Can Put Your Courage to the Test

We all love different kinds of tourism, and while some of us prefer sunbathing on the coast, others spend their time discovering local museums. But there are some people who simply cannot imagine their vacation without testing their courage and pushing their limits. If you’re one of these so-called dare-devils, walking on a narrow plank in the mountains or bungee jumping from a helicopter right into the heart of an active volcano may be just what you need for a perfect holiday.

Here at Bright Side, we suffered through sweaty palms to make this list of thrilling tourist locations to help you plan the most exciting trip of your life.

1. Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, Zhangjiajie, China

Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge is the largest and highest bridge with a glass bottom in the world. The bridge creates a terrific view and gives the illusion that you’re walking on air 984 feet above the ground. Apart from just walking along the “invisible” bridge, you can bungee jump or zip-line off of it while admiring the amazing stone pillars down beneath you.

2. Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Java, Indonesia

The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is one of the largest volcanic regions in Indonesia, and it covers an impressive area of 308 square miles. It’s a perfect place for volcano lovers who want to get closer to the heart of a volcano and take one of the most fascinating selfies of their lives. The Bromo Volcano located here is still active and you can see smoke rising from it. Would you dare to get that close to an active volcano?

3. Volcano Cerro Negro, Nicaragua

Skiing down the slopes of snowy mountains can hardly surprise anyone, but have you ever thought of racing down an active volcano on a piece of wood? If the thought of that excites you, try volcano boarding at Cerro Negro in Nicaragua, the youngest volcano in Central America! Local guides will teach you how to slide down the extraterrestrial-like, black surface of the volcano and tell you more about its features and history.

4. Pedra da Gávea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Pedra da Gávea is the world’s largest rock monolith located on a coastline. This enormous ancient giant is 2,762 feet high and the view that opens up on top of it is just breathtaking. With time, the elements of nature damaged the rock, making one side of it look like a human face. To get to the top of the monolith and take the most fascinating pictures ever, you’ll need to climb along a steep trail for some time but it’s definitely worth it.

5. Devil’s Pool, Victoria Falls, Zambia

If you’re a fan of waterfalls but have grown tired of watching them from a distance, consider swimming in the Devil’s Pool at Victoria Falls. The Devil’s Pool is a natural pool that was formed in waterfall rocks after thousands of years of erosion. This amazing pool will give you a personal view of the waterfall drop-off along with the music of heavy waves crashing down on the rocks. Are you brave enough to visit?

6. CN Tower, Toronto, Canada

Edge walking on the CN Tower in Toronto is one of the most thrilling city attractions in the world and the first of its kind in North America. In fact, this is the world’s highest hands-free walk on a 5-foot wide circle ledge located on top of the tower, 1,168 feet above the ground. Visitors usually walkin groups of 6 attached to a safety rail, testing their courage and pushing their limits.

7. Trift Bridge, The Swiss Alps, Switzerland

Trift Bridge is a spectacular suspension bridge in the Swiss Alps that is 328 feet high and 557 feet long, giving you a fantastic view of the Thrift Glacier. Traveling to the bridge in a gondola is an adventure in itself, and once you’re at the top, you’ll feel overwhelmed by the view and will enjoy a thrilling but pleasant walk along the bridge surrounded by picturesque mountains.

8. Cave of Swallows, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Just imagine this breathtaking cave that’s 1,679 feet deep with an entrance opening that’s 196 feet wide, making it one of the largest caves in the world. The walls of the cave are a sanctuary for thousands of birds that leave their nests in the morning and come back from nearby forests in the evening. If you’re brave enough, there’s something you can try apart from bird watching here. It’s a popular destination for vertical cavers who go down the cave opening attached to a rope or base jump into the dark pits of the cave.

9. Villarrica Volcano, Pucón, Chile

If jumping down into a cave is not thrilling enough for you, bungee jumping inside the caldera of an active volcano is just what you need! In fact, to do this, you’ll need to literally throw yourself down from a helicopter attached to a 350-foot long rope. There’s no doubt that approaching a hot, steaming volcano heart is truly exciting, but the jump is far from cheap. An average price for a volcano bungee jumping tour is around $16,000.

10. The Sac Actun underwater caves off the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula

This is the longest underwater cave on our planet that stretches as far as 217 miles at an average depth of 68 feet and a maximum depth of 393 feet. When you swim in the cave you get the feeling you’re somewhere else other than Earth. The cave system is also known for anthropological discoveries that are made there. Human bones that have been found in Sac Actun are around 13,000 years old and the areas where they were found are kept in secret to allow scientists to carefully study them.

11. Moaning Caverns, California, USA

If you want to study caves even more closely, a tour around Moaning Caverns is just what you need. Here, you can descend deep down inside the cave on a rope or go down a spiral staircase to see massive stone formations. You can admire stalagmites and flowstones, and see the so-called “moaning holes” — rock formations that make the peculiar sounds the caverns are named after.

12. Mount Huashan, Huayin City, China

This is a place where you can experience the most extreme hiking in the world. Get yourself ready for an unforgettable plank walk that will make your heart pound and palms sweat. The hiking trails here are made of narrow wooden planks attached to rock surfaces that only give you a little space to balance on. It’s a scary route indeed but the breathtaking view it reveals is what keeps tourists coming back again and again.

Do you like extreme tourism? Which of these locations would you like to visit and why?